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by steve sobel (steve) / maggie quirk (dietofworms) - Sep 01, 2003
Shai Hulud - That Within Blood Ill-Tempered Review #1 - Maggie Quirk After a five year respite the Miami metalcore band, Shai Hulud, came out with their next album, That Within Blood Ill-Tempered. The songs portray intense rage and sorrow through poetic lyrics and melodic guitar. The basic drums combine with chaotic guitar riffs, and Geert Van Der Velde's throaty screams to produce music that will make you feel a wave of emotions. Shai Hulud achieved a perfect combination of metal and hardcore. With two guitars, sometimes the elaborate riffs don't mesh like they should, but with two talented musicians, what is produced leaves a lasting impression on the listener. There is one major downfall to this album: the song titles. The titles, which were probably designed to induce spontaneous combustion, just make me want to laugh. How could anyone take songs seriously if they are as inane as "Whether to Cry or to Destroy" or "Let us at last Praise the Colonizers of Dreams." Despite the name, "Whether to Cry or to Destroy" was the most impressionable song on the album. The passion of the lyrics, 'My hand is poised, and in fury. Only thunder gives me rest,' is a perfect example of the strong emotions shown in the rest of the album. Overall, this album was worth the five years put into making it. When listening to the stormy album, try not to think of the song titles or you'll ruin the mood. That Within Blood Ill-Tempered is a memorable album that is definitely worth listening to. Review #2 - Steve Sobel There's challenging music, and there's music that's difficult just for the sake of being difficult. Shai Hulud falls on the latter side of the line. With song titles as long as ten words, one cannot help but feel a thick air of pretentiousness around the entire album. That said, there are points of this CD that really shine. When the vocalists screams are actually rhythmic, rather than a frantic effort to squeeze out twenty words within a measure, That Within Blood Ill-Tempered becomes temporarily entertaining. The guitars are a mesh of math-rock and melodic hardcore, providing a beautiful backdrop to a vocal texture that is decent at best, but usually abrasive even when compared to other hardcore acts. If Shai Hulud lost the pretentious artist air and actually sought to make more consumable music, they would likely kick severe amounts of ass - they've certainly got the technical talent. They just shoot themselves in the foot with vocals that take away from otherwise excellent guitar and drum work. |